Sucheta Kadethankar quit her corporate job to pursue adventure and study Veda recitation, realising that spiritual life can be applied to everyday life, too.
In 2011, Sucheta Kadethankar became the first Indian to cross the Mongolian Gobi Desert on foot. At the time, she was working a corporate job but walking that desert and tuning into her adventurous nature gave her an insight into an alternative way of being. In 2013, she quit her corporate job to pursue yoga and deepen her spiritual life as well as pay more attention to do the things she loves. At present, she is the Lead Yoga Teacher, Yoga Master Trainer, and Yoga Therapist at Koham studio in Pune, and her goal is to take yoga beyond asanas and inspire an interest in Indic wisdom. One way of doing this is through Veda recitation and understanding the philosophy of Indic Knowledge Systems. Sucheta has been studying with Veda Studies since she first found out about it during COVID, and she enrolled in the Indica Veda Studies Teacher Training Programme to further her knowledge and become equipped to spread the knowledge she learns. In conversation with Sophie French…
Sophia: Tell us why you quit the corporate life to seek adventure and spirituality.
Sucheta: I spent 12 years in the corporate world thoroughly enjoying the experience. However, I began to feel a pull towards something more meaningful than simply leading a comfortable life. There was a growing sense within me that life could not be limited to this and had more to offer. I had a background in Yoga and was educated in Sanskrit because of my family. I was also familiar with the knowledge and philosophy offered in the puruṣārthas. As I explored these ideas further, I became interested in spiritual development. Adventure and a love for the outdoors have always been integral to my life. When I decided to move away from the typical corporate life, I did so intending to nurture my adventurous side and my personal spiritual development.
Sophia: Tell us about what you do and how you began your spiritual journey.
Sucheta: My journey began with Karma Yoga. I’ve always immersed myself in the process of doing everything I do without worrying much about the outcome or when the results will manifest. This naturally evolved into jñāna yoga. Initially, I studied scriptures independently, but as I got more serious about studying in-depth, I deepened my understanding through the teachings at Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Annaikatti, under the tradition of Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
Reciting stotras and mantras has been a part of my life since childhood, thanks to my mother, who taught me many. I believe my success in school elocution competitions was mainly due to my mantra chanting, though I wasn’t chanting in the traditional Vedic style. I was always searching for someone to teach me proper Veda recitation, and during the COVID pandemic, I finally found Veda Studies.
Sophia: You have been practising various forms of spirituality before you started reciting Veda? How did reciting Veda enhance or affect those practices?
Sucheta: Learning Veda recitation has profoundly impacted me, especially in managing anger. While Yoga practice and scriptural studies had already helped me control my anger to a large extent, Veda recitation took it to another level. It has been instrumental in helping me maintain a sense of calmness, balance and patience. Even my overall satisfaction with life has increased.
Sophia: Tell us how you found the interconnectedness between Advaita Vedanta and Veda recitation when you discovered svara as an integrated part of a syllable.
Sucheta: When I first started learning Vedic chanting, I approached it as a two-step process. I would read the letter and then the svara mark to determine the sound. When I sent my recordings to Shantalaji, she would patiently point out areas for improvement. Then, one day, I had an ‘Aha’ moment — I realised I needed to see the letter and the svara mark as one, embodying the Advaita (non-duality) concept. Instead of treating them separately — where the letter informed the pronunciation and the svara mark determined the pitch — I began to understand them as a unified whole. That realisation transformed my recitation experience entirely.
Sophia: Tell us about the Indica Veda Studies TTC Programme and how it adds value to your practice/life?
Sucheta: This Teacher Training Course (TTC) has been one of my most rewarding experiences. As an Indian, I thought I had a basic understanding of the Veda-s, but after studying with people from across the world at Veda Studies, it warms my heart to see people from diverse cultures and languages coming together to recite Veda. This course has deepened my knowledge about Veda and also made me more humble as a person.
Sophia: Why should a spiritual practitioner study Veda — both practice and theory?
Sucheta: Studying the Veda-s makes you humble and compassionate — essential qualities for spiritual development.
Sophia: What does spirituality mean to you?
Sucheta: Spirituality is the sense of freedom in every moment and whatever we do. I’ve always believed that spirituality and daily life are inseparable. As I delved deeper into my studies, this perspective solidified. In hindsight, I realise I’ve always been spiritual, even if I wasn’t consciously aware of the fact.
Sophia: What is your advice to people who want to practice and study Veda?
Sucheta: Start as soon as possible. There is no ideal time and age to do it.
Sophia: Which mantras resonate most with you and why?
Sucheta: Medhā sūktam. I wanted to learn Veda recitation when I heard the medhā sūktam by the Challakere Brothers. The sound drew me in.
Sophia: How will you apply everything you learn as a student and teacher of Veda to your life and your students’ lives?
Sucheta: I already apply it actively in my life. For me, that application is the understanding of doing everything without attaching like or dislike to the activity. For my students, I first help them connect with Veda through sound. In the same way that we use asana to move from gross to subtle, I encourage my students to connect with the sound first so eventually, they can use that to move towards silence.
For further information on Sucheta, find her work at Koham Fit
So inspiring! Beautiful.